Orchids in water culture

[Sun rm.N.E.]

Snow flurries forecasted for tonight. My roses will be finished. This is why I grow orchids.

These are pictures from the orchid hospital. It looks like they are going to be keepers.

The Blc. Hawaian Mini Island had badly rotted roots and required multiple cleanups including 2 treatments with Gentian violet.

The Den. Nora Tokunaga required very little work just like most of the orchids I get from H&R

[Joansorchid]

Oooh wow Lovely
Is the gentian violet the kind of antiseptic that you spray on horses hooves?
Joan x

[Sun rm.N.E.]

Joan

You are funny. It is my last resort since it stains everything. Right now my nails are purple since I overestimated my fine motor skills.

Years ago we used to use it to treat thrush in infant's mouth if the other drugs failed to work.

[Ross]

Just curious. Why "water culture"? Is there something I haven't heard of?

[Becky15349]

I agree - these are growing in water?!? Tell us more about this! I found an article online about orchids and water culture - is this what you do? Water Culture

[Sun rm.N.E.]

Ross

As you know you can grow orchids in almost any media. Water culture has been around for a long time. I read about it first on the former orchid vendor, Venger's website.

This is my third orchid collection and I now enjoy living with my orchids during the cold Winter in the house. I find water culture is a good way to clean up orchids and treat infection before I put them into SH. If the root rot returns I simply take out a razor blade, scalpel, whatever is handy, cut off all rot, teat with Hydrogen peroxide and put it back in a clean disposable cup of nutrient solution. Of course, insects on new orchids are also very easy to eliminate.

If they have a yet unexpressed genetic potential to induce water-tolerant roots by this new environment as well as sufficient resistance to infection and no viral disease, they do very well and I end up with healthy plants for long-term SH culture with adequate tolerance for low humidity. If they don't, they go quickly. No sloooow death to watch. The older I get the more I have to see of that elsewhere.

In fact, some of them grow best in water culture and the blooms last longer. These include some hybrids in Cocleantes, Catt., Dendrobium, Leptotes, Oncidium, Rodiquezia. I have more photos in my album in my gallery.

By the way, Phals do not do well for me in water maybe because I don't chose to spend the time disinfecting them every time the water seeps up between the leaves. Venges also found that Phals grew better in other media.

[Becky15349]

This is so fascinating!!! I have several catts that are really suffering, I think I might try this! They aren't doing well where they are at now anyways, so I might as well try something new. I keep pothos in water and it grows like madness...not that pothos is anything like orchids, LOL. I'm gonna go for it!!!

[Ross]

Thanks for the education. I didn't know.

[Sun rm.N.E.]

Becky

Your reference seems to be a copy of the original Venger's article that I read first years ago.

However, I disagree with some of the recommendations.
For example, I find that plants do much better if the nutrient solution is changed more often than once a week and I believe in removing all senile roots even before they rot. This also keeps the algae at an optimal level. If you have too much, or too much dead algae it isn't favorable for root metabolism.
I agree that optimal algae growth supplies oxygenation during the day and may keep some of the pathological organisms under control just like friendly bacteria keeps our ear canals healthy. In fact, if I do not see healthy algae growth i usually find I have to treat for pathological organisms.

[Becky15349]

When you talk about a nutrient solution, do you mean water with orchid fertilizer added? What is the recipe for your particular nutrient solution?

I agree with you - changing the water only 1x per week didn't seem like enough to me...

I can't wait to try this! I have a few catts that I can afford to "gamble" with, because they're on the way out anyways, LOL...

Thanks!
~Becky